


Here At the End Of All Things

by sneakronicity



Category: Black Widow (Comics), Hawkeye (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-10 01:48:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3272270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sneakronicity/pseuds/sneakronicity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The multiverse is fractured and nothing can stop the earth's destruction.  All that is left is to decide what to do with the time that remains.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here At the End Of All Things

**Author's Note:**

> "What will our heroes do with their final hours? What secrets will be unearthed? Who will they want to spend their LAST DAYS with?" As soon as I saw this official quote from Marvel in regards to what is to come with Secret Wars, I had to write this fic. I poured so many feels into it this and am so happy with the outcome, and hope y'all enjoy it too! Special thanks to my darling Shen for the beta and the encouragement! Love always!

If you knew the world was ending, if you knew these were your last days on earth, how would you spend them?Would you go somewhere you had never been, or spend it in your favourite place in the world?Would you do something you had always been afraid of trying?Would you steal and destroy and cause havoc, or would you wile away your last days quietly at home?

If you knew you only had a few days to live, who would you want to spend them with?Family?Friends?Or is there one special someone?Would you reconnect with someone from your past?Make amends with someone you’d lost?Confess your love to the person you’d been hiding your heart from?  

If these were your last days on earth, what would you do?

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

Laying on his sofa, eyes fixed on a water stain on the ceiling, Clint ruminated over these questions.The world was coming to an end; no matter how hard the Avengers had fought to prevent it, in the end they had failed, and now there was nothing left to do but wait.Wait, and think.

Barney was passed out in Clint’s bed, having decided that the best way to face the end was to be completely shit-faced, and Lucky was curled up on a blanket by the window.Did the dog understand what was happening?Did he know that his life was about to end?Probably not, and Clint thought that his name was pretty fitting in this case.He kind of wished that he was blissfully ignorant to all of it as well.

_Your last few days on earth and you’re going to spend them brooding and staring at the ceiling?_ he silently berated himself, but before he could even try to figure out what to do or, more likely, make excuses, his phone rang.Of course his first instinct was to ignore it, but with Barney asleep and nothing else to do but think, it served as a welcome distraction.

Trudging over to where it hung on the wall, Clint answered in a low voice so as not to wake his brother, despite the shrill ringing that had just echoed through the apartment.“Hello?”  

“Hi, it’s me,” an instantly recognizable voice replied.“I wasn’t sure if you would hear the phone.”

“Got a new set of hearing aids.Just in time, eh?” he said, wincing at his own words.Now probably wasn’t the time to joke about it, but he was so surprised to hear from her that he hadn’t even attempted to turn on his filter yet.Nobody called him unless they needed him, and it wasn’t like anyone would need him now, so he had expected Kate, or maybe Steve, but not her, not Natasha.

“Have to make sure you can hear the end when it comes,” she replied, and Clint found himself laughing for the first time in what felt like years.He heard a light chuckle from the other end of the line and felt his anxiety dissipate.Maybe now _was_ the time to joke about the end, because there wasn’t much time left.

The phone went silent a moment before he heard Natasha sigh.“I know you’re probably busy, but I thought...” 

When she trailed off Clint gave her little time to say anymore before jumping in.“Nah, Barney’s asleep, so it’s just me.Did you wanna... I could meet you somewhere.”He could have invited her over, but he figured she’d want to talk alone, and besides: he was dying to get out for some fresh air.The heavy air seemed to close in further with each minute that passed. 

Writing down the address that Natasha gave him, Clint hung up the phone and stared at it a moment.The end of days and it was him that she called; she wanted to see him.Ignoring the voice that tried to tell him she would have called someone else if she remembered they existed, he made sure Lucky had food and water, and checked in on Barney.His brother was still passed out cold so he left a note before walking out into the night.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

When he arrived at the address Natasha had given him, Clint was surprised to find it was a hotel. _Well, it’s not like she’s been able to go back to her apartment since the shooting,_ he reminded himself.

Inside, he was even more surprised to find the lobby deserted except for one lone figure.“What did you do, buy the place?” he quipped as he slowly approached her.

“No, that’s what _you_ do,” Natasha replied, referring to the apartment building he had purchased outright, not that that had turned out so well either.“It’s abandoned.With only a few days left to live, clearly everyone has better things to do than work, and better places to be.”

Crooking her finger at him, she led him into the hotel bar.She hadn’t been lying, the place was entirely empty.Having already set out a bottle and a couple of glasses, she took a seat on one of the bar stools and poured the first drinks as Clint sat himself beside her.

“So, here’s to the end, huh?” he said when she handed him his glass.With just a wry smirk in response she raised her glass in salute and knocked it back in one.Not wanting to be outdone Clint did the same, though not nearly as gracefully.  

She filled the glasses again. 

“No Kate tonight?” she asked, drinking the next one a little slower this time.

“Nah, she’s with her team.Cassie came back just in time for everything to end,” he replied, brow furrowing.How was that for unfair?“And Barney drank enough to knock out a moose, so he won’t be functioning again ‘til sometime tomorrow.”Clearly a good use of what time they had left. “Isaiah?”

“He’s with his family. He invited me along but they’re not too fond of me.”

“Can’t imagine why...” Clint muttered before giving her a quick grin to let her know he was teasing.  

For a while they drank in silence, and when Natasha spoke again it was so quiet Clint almost questioned what he’d heard.“Thank you.For being here.”

“Where else would I be?” he said.Finishing his drink, he looked down at the empty glass as he struggled with his next words.“Though I gotta say... I was surprised when you called.”

He could feel her eyes on him but he didn’t look up.“Why?” she asked, setting her glass on the bar and placing her hands on her knees.

“I dunno.”He shrugged.“I guess I thought... I thought it shoulda been someone else.Not calling me.Shoulda been someone else you called.”

He risked a glance up, and he swore she almost looked a little hurt by the suggestion.“After all these years, and all we’ve been through, why wouldn’t I call you?”She shook her head.“Do you really think so little of yourself now?”

Maybe that had something to do with it.Maybe he thought he wasn’t worth it, that nobody should be stuck spending their last days with him, let alone volunteering to, but there was something else as well.He knew he was the consolation prize, that if she had all of her memories it would be Bucky here with her, not him.

_Except he’s off gallivanting_ _around space.Couldn’t be here if she wanted him._ So why bring it up?Why tell her now when nothing could be done about it?Why hurt her and confuse her so close to the end?

Because she deserved to know, and he should have told her months ago.He should have told her back in the hospital when it had all just gone down.  

“Tasha... it’s not me you wanna be with,” he said the words slowly, reluctantly.He shouldn’t be the one that had to tell her.She shouldn’t have been kept in the dark in the first place.Damn Bucky and his... whatever the hell kind of complex it was that he had. “Look, I shoulda told you this before.Something happened, and if you-”

She pressed a finger to his lips, instantly silencing him.Their gazes locked and for a long time they held it, reading all they could in each other’s eyes, and Clint couldn’t help but feel like maybe she knew.Not really, not entirely, but that somehow she had an inkling.She had to have known something wasn’t right all along, that her memories didn’t quite line up and she was missing time, but what if she figured it out?Wishful thinking, maybe, but he couldn’t deny that it was a possibility.

“I want you, Clint,” she finally broke the silence.“ _You_.”She slowly lowered her hand to rest on his thigh.“These past few months, when everyone else turned their backs on me, you were still there, and when decided I didn’t want to be alone, you were the first person I thought of.”

She held his gaze fiercely, as if daring him to protest again.Bucky had left her without her memories, and then he had left _her_ , that was the simple truth.In the end, she was right: Clint was the one who was here for her, and _at_ the end that was all that mattered.  

“Sure you don’t wanna think harder?”Just like that the somber mood broke and they shared a smile, but the air remained heavy between them.  

“If you would rather go home and hang out with your unconscious brother...” Natasha replied, moving as if to stand, but Clint clapped his hand down over the one that rested on his leg, keeping it in place.The air grew thicker.

“No, no, I’m good here,” he said.The shift in her position had brought her closer, filling his vision with nothing but her beautiful face.All these years and she remained the most beautiful woman he had ever met.It was no wonder he had fallen head over heels for her at first sight.

“Then stop trying to complicate things.”With those words she did stand and, taking his hand in hers, she started to lead him toward the door.Clint made no protest and obediently followed.

They moved like shadows through the silent lobby and into the waiting lift.When Natasha selected the top floor he wondered if she had been staying here long or if she had chosen it just for tonight.

He didn’t ask and she didn’t say.

When they exited the lift she pulled him gently down the hall to the suite at the end, and while he didn’t see her produce a key, it was unlocked and they were inside in moments.

Despite everything she closed the door as softly as she could and turned on the light before turning back to face him.He could see faint, dark circles beneath her eyes, a healing cut on her chin, but she was still stunning, and the way she was looking at him took his breath away.

Slowly she reached out to him and slipped her fingers beneath the bottom hem of his shirt. Her touch made him shiver, his muscles involuntarily contract, and she paused to meet his eyes before sliding her hands up his abdomen, pushing his shirt up with them. 

He hesitated a moment.

He knew he should stop, should say something... or at least he _thought_ he should.Under normal circumstances he should question her renewed desire for him, should worry about the consequences of going down this road again, but what did any of that matter now?The circumstances couldn’t be further from normal, and what consequences could there possibly be with only a few days left to live?

_Fuck it._

Clint lifted his arms and Natasha pulled his shirt off over his head and tossed it aside.Her hands resumed their torturous exploration of his body, fingertips gliding gently over each scar she discovered before her lips followed suit.He tried to stay still, to let her do as she wished with him, but soon enough he couldn’t resist any longer and buried his hands in her hair, tilting her head back so he could capture her lips with his own.

She tasted like liquor and those dill pickle chips he knew she secretly loved.

The kiss was deep and desperate, as if they needed each other to breathe, and when they parted they were both breathing heavily, lips parted and eyes dilated.Silently Natasha took his hand again and led him to the bedroom, once more turning on the light when they entered.She wanted to see him; she had been in darkness for too long.

They took their time liberating each other from their clothing, touching, teasing and tasting each new expanse of skin they revealed.Her nails scratched over his skin, making him moan, but she followed the red lines with her tongue to sooth them away.Her hair, red like fire, fell all about him, tickling and causing him to tremble.  

He ran his hands through the silky strands, relishing in the feel as it slid through his fingers.He loved her hair like this, long and red and different from how it had been all those years ago.She had changed so much, but he thought that he had as well.Their relationship had been rocky from the beginning, marred by deceit and ambition, but they were different people now; he older and more experienced, and her more sure of who she was and belonging only to herself.

The first pleasure was his and she would not be dissuaded, but he made good shortly after.He worshipped every inch of her body, explored her inside and out with his fingers, his tongue.Delighting in every moan, every tremble, he pushed her to the very heights of pleasure and beyond.

What felt like hours later, when they finally came together, it was like coming home.

They had both had other lovers in the years since their last encounter, had both even been _in love_ with others, but that didn’t mean that the love they’d had for each other had ever gone away.It had changed as they had, had morphed into something different, something deeper.They had a strong friendship, mutual trust, and the knowledge they could depend on one another. In this world, in their business, that was worth everything.

The night wore into the wee hours of the morning before they were finally sated, and a well thrown shoe killed the light, plunging them into darkness.Both exhausted, it wasn’t long before they were asleep.

 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

 

The next morning was grey and rainy, as if the world itself knew of its impending destruction and was weeping.It was just past nine and Natasha lay on her side, one hand tucked under her pillow and the other holding the covers up close to her chin.She watched Clint as he slept, watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, the movement of his eyes beneath his closed lids, and the way his forehead creased periodically, or one corner of his lips twitched upwards.

Every instinct within her was telling her to run.

She had opened herself up too much last night, had let it go too far.She wasn’t sure anymore what her intention had been when she’d first called Clint, but she knew this wasn’t it.She had meant to talk, to share comfort and company, or maybe she had wanted to fuck him, hard and fast and rough.That wasn’t what had happened at all.

When she had him alone in the room she had wanted to see him, wanted to appreciate the man he had become in their years apart.There were scars on his body that she remembered, from his father and Trickshot and the Swordsman, but there were so many new ones, many of them recent. She had gotten carried away discovering them all, touching and kissing each and every one of them.

Then, when he had kissed her, she had been lost.

It had been so long since she had felt loved and desired for who she was, not for the image she put across.If this was to be the end, then why not be indulgent?Why not remind herself of how good it could be to let someone so close.Last night had been about pleasure, about love, about trust, not just about need, and even  in this morning she swore she could still feel his touch.

It scared her.It scared her how fully she had let down her walls, how completely she had given herself to him, and it was this fear that told her to run, but there was one question stopping her: run where?

She watched him stir, a soft noise escaping his lips as he threw an arm over his eyes.She could leave and he would never find her again.He still had Barney, he wouldn’t face the end alone... but if she left now then she would.Wasn’t that what this had been about in the first place?She had lived so much of her life alone, and she didn’t want to die that way.

The rhythm of his breathing stuttered and she knew he was waking up.It was her deciding moment, she had seconds before it was too late.

Holding the blankets close to her chest, Natasha huddled deeper beneath them.

Lifting his arm just enough to peer out from beneath it, Clint turned his head and smiled sleepily when he found her lying next to him.“Had dreams like this,” he murmured, his voice slurred.  

“Oh, really?” she replied, arching an eyebrow at him.

“Well, more like last night, though not nearly as good.”Dropping his arm, he grinned roguishly at her, and with his hair sticking up in all directions and his eyes half closed he looked so deliciously ravished she couldn’t help but grin back.

Any remaining flight instinct faded.

“I’m glad I called you,” she admitted, because what was the point of being secretive now?Fuck all the lies and deceit, and keeping everyone at arm’s length.Fuck being afraid of hurting someone, and being even more afraid of being hurt herself.Never before was there a time more appropriate to live in the moment, and if there were only moments left then she was planning to enjoy them without fear or worry or reservations.  

Clint looked surprised at the confession, but soon he was smiling softly at her in return.“Me too,” he said, rolling on his side to face her.Reaching out to brush her hair behind her ear, he let his hand linger on her cheek and she turned her head to kiss his palm.He looked like he might melt right there.“I, uh...” he started to say, but when she met his gaze he faltered.“You know, I’m... kinda surprised you’re still here.”

It shouldn’t have stung to hear him voice the inner debate she had been having, but somehow it did.Somehow it hurt that he had expected her to leave him without a word.It hurt because she almost had; he had expected it because he knew her.

“Hey, I’m glad you didn’t leave,” he said quickly, clearly having read her displeasure in her expression.“I’m really happy you’re still here. Really happy.I-”

She silenced him with a kiss.  

She didn’t tell him she had almost left him because it didn’t matter now.She hadn’t, she had stayed, and that was what was important.  

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Rolling onto his back he took her with him so she was laying on top of him, and she chuckled into the kiss.“What?” he muttered, nibbling at her lower lip.  

“Last night wasn’t enough for you?” she asked, lifting her head so she could look down at him.He pouted slightly back at her.  

“Hell no,” Clint answered.“I figure by the time the world ends I wanna be so happy and exhausted I won’t even notice.”

She had to laugh at that, at the absurdity and the logic, but as he rolled them over and kissed her in earnest, she couldn’t help but wonder: would that really be such a bad way to go?

 


End file.
